Cities who fund these programs often say that stores like Bass Pro aren’t simply retail outlets, they’re “tourist destinations,” as if that justifies ladling taxpayer money on them. It’s nothing more than PR spin to make government handouts seem more palpable. …

In Sunday’s column, I discussed the recent state audit of Gov. Rick Perry’s Emerging Technology Fund. The audit paints a picture of a big puddle of taxpayer money, doled out with little supervision or …